


InuYami

by PuzlDragon



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, BAMF Mutou Yuugi, BAMF Yami Yuugi | Atem, Bisexual Mutou Yuugi, But Atem Has Major Season 0 Vibes, But...A Loving And Knowledgable One, Canonical Flying Centipede Mermaids, Comedy, F/F, F/M, He's A Half Demon Himbo, I'm Gonna Be A Nerd Once Every Five Chapters, Inuyasha's Himbo Energy To Be Channeled, Kaiba Seto Has Issues, Let Him Roar, M/M, Mana Is A Nice Old Lady, Mana Is Wonderful Fight Me, Memory Loss, Memory Magic, Not Manga Yugioh or Something, Sennen Items | Millennium Items, The Violence Is Inuyasha Level, With Arms, Yami Yuugi | Atem Has His Own Body, Yugioh Enemies Will Be Monsters, Yugioh Typical Bastardizing Of Ancient Egyptian Religion, Yuugi Is A Pervert Canonically And I Use This For Comedy, Yuugi Please Focus, cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24097507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzlDragon/pseuds/PuzlDragon
Summary: Mutou Yuugi's family are shrine keepers in Domino City. Everything is a normal day for his sixteenth birthday, until he chases his cat, Kuriboh, near the old well. Then a monster drags him down!Next thing he knows, he's in Feudal Japan. A land full of demons, monsters, and drama. And he has to pair up with an amnesiac, and grumpy half-demon to help find all the pieces of the Sennan Puzzle!The one where it's an Inuyasha au.
Relationships: Atem/Mahaado | Mahad, Bakura Ryou & Honda Hiroto & Jounouchi Katsuya & Mazaki Anzu & Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Mokuba & Kaiba Seto, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Comments: 27
Kudos: 13





	1. Too Weird To Have A Boner (Also, Where The Heck Am I?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is grumpy himbo energy. Atem is sweet neighbor next door dork energy combined with some regal prince vibes. I combine them, and introduce to you: regal grumpy dork himbo energy.

Sometimes Yuugi disliked his family being shrine caretakers. He thinks his grandpa did, too. Yes, Grandpa cared about the history, and felt the shrine was important. But sometimes when Grandpa returned home from playing Go with his friends, and drinking sake, he'd mutter about his dream of owning a game shop.  
It was a love Yuugi inherited, too. Part of Yuugi's dream to be a game developer was for himself. Part was for what his Grandpa had shared with him.

Or some of it, anyway.

Because right now he was surrounded with cheap trinkets to sell to tourists that looked like some 'Sennan Items'. He jingled it, letting Kuriboh the cat swat at it.

"Ahem," Grandpa huffed. "As I was saying, the Sennan Items are magical objects that were created long ago. They were said to grant extreme power to the user. They were born from a spellcaster long ago. A half foreign, and half Japanese family combined their two magics, making the items. This is a pendant replica. The history of them changing hands was often violent, and dramatic. In fact, it was said -"

"Anyway, you didn't forget it was my sixteenth birthday tomorrow, did you?" Yuugi interrupts. He can't be blamed. He's listened to this lecture six times today. Grandpa might have loved being a historian. Or an archeologist. Grandpa might be his only friend in the world, aside from Kuriboh the cat. But Yuugi can't listen forever.

"Well," Grandpa laughs. "I was going to wait, but I suppose I'll give it now." Yuugi chants as Grandpa mimics a drumroll. He rips off the colored paper to find - some broken clay shards?

"Grandpa, what is this?"

"You see, these are pottery shards from ancient storage pots. When you measure their curve, you can find out how large the items were and -"

"I guess they'll be good mosaics," Yuugi absently remarks. Grandpa starts crying in offense.

Everything has a story in the Mutou house. Stories about this chess set from fifty years ago, stories about the land, and the tree of a thousand years, stories about some old thing some cheap trinkets are based off of. Everything's got a story. And Yuugi hates it.

He wishes that things could just be simple, sometimes.

The next morning, he's going off to school. He gets up from the table, the taste of hearty mushroom soup lingering on his tongue. The old chair creaks slightly as he pushes it back into the table. He scrubs off his plate as quick as he can. He tosses on his loafers, and snatches the strap of his old backpack, heavy with games he probably isn't allowed in school. He wonders what fun thing will happen today!

But right when he opens the door, disaster strikes. Kuriboh runs out past him.

Kuriboh is an indoor cat.

So Yuugi runs out after him, scrambling and darting, clicking, and yelling. Then the little thing runs into the area with the spooky old well. Wonderful.

And it's as spooky as ever. Light filters in trough the slots in the door. Sharp slivers of blades that attempt to slice through the murky darkness. The scent of dust mixes in with something _wrong_. Something that alights a 'run, little mammal' response in the hindbrain.

"Kuriboh!" He whisper-yells. No response.

"Kuriboh!" All he gets his a soft thud. Great. The cat's going to make him late for school. So. Much. Trouble. Yuugi sighs, and puffs his chest out. He takes a step down the stairs. The wood creaks ominously. Yuugi pauses, fear of a plunge to his doom radiating up his spine. Nothing happens.

Another hesitant step. Another creak from hell's stairs. And another step. This happens seventeen times. Seventeen times of wondering if this is it. This is how he goes. Found after not arriving to school, or home. His neck broken at the base of the devil's favorite stairs. Don't cats eat dead people? Wonderful. Maybe Kuriboh did this on purpose. Maybe Kuriboh has forbidden cravings. The mastermind. But Yuugi gets to the bottom.

Something brushes along his leg. Yuugi screams.

"Mrow," Kuriboh says, from where he stands by Yuugi. 'Why didn't you have a heart attack?' His eyes say, because this cat is a fiend. Yuugi sighs.

"Alright, you rascal. Back into the house for you." Yuugi picks him up.

And then there is the shaking. The rushing that sounds like a giant wind. Like the whole building will be torn apart by it. Wooden slats, clattering like teeth.

And the well doors behind him burst open. There is a great burst of light. Arms, so many arms, surround him.

And then Yuugi is falling.

Further, and further he falls. Then there is no gravity at all. Nothing pulling him except the arms and hands. He floats like a bubble on water. And he is surrounded by Aurora Borealis. Surrounded by a pulsing, swirling rainbow of light and shadow. There is no up or down. It would be pretty, if he wasn't lost and confused. If there wasn't arms and discombobulated length of ribs and spine growing flesh. Longer than any creature should have a spine. The arms spin him around.

And there is a woman. A woman with long hair, and nude breasts. And, listen, Yuugi's a bisexual teen. This should be fun. But he's floating in some unicorn puke land, he got kidnapped down a well by her many arms, and - oh. She has six arms. He snaps his eyes down. That spine is hers. She has a centipede body. Listen, Yuugi's wanked to some weird shit but he's never had a wetdream and a nightmare combine before. It's a boner killer. And then she licks him.

And, oh. She has a foot long tongue. Because, of course she does.

"I am alive again. Even now, my strength is returning. My flesh is regrowing. You are it's chosen wielder, aren't you? Give it to me. Give it to me!"

"Ah, I don't know what you are talking about! Please, let me go!" People tend to respond quicker to please. His brain is a bit slow with the terror and confusion, and he realizes that maybe giant centipede mermaids don't follow normal people rules.

"Give me the pendant!" She cries, arms squeezing him to the point of pain with barely a flex. He doesn't want to see what this monster can do if she tried to hurt him. Instinctively, he throws his hand out.

"Leave me alone!" He cries. But a light flashes. His forehead and the palm of his hand are warm, no, burning up. There's a glow of gold, and there are shadows swirling around them. Then the centipede woman is thrown back. Away from him. And Yuugi is falling once more.

Then he is at the bottom of a well.

"Did I hit my head when I fell?" He turns around. And there is an arm that was blasted off of the centipede woman.

"Nope. Nope, nope. Not dealing with that." And then Yuugi starts climbing, because there's nothing else to do but stare at centipede monster's arm. And he isn't doing that.

He emerges to bright light, and the smell of flowers. Vivid green leaves rustle in the air, and soft grass pads under his feet. He'd love to be here for a day. Take a break, and enjoy the sunshine. If this place wasn't mysteriously where his house should be.

Suddenly, all of Grandpa's stories, and tales seem so wonderful right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
> Short comments
> 
> Long comments
> 
> Questions
> 
> Constructive criticism
> 
> “<3” as extra kudos
> 
> Reader-reader interaction
> 
> LLF Comment Builder  
> This author replies to comments.  
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


	2. Explanations Are Nice, Please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If no one gets it, I purposelly make Atem's outfit not historically accurate in tribute to both his canonically outfit being inaccurate, and inuyasha's being a hot mess that doesn't quite fit in any category.
> 
> Plus, it seems Inuyasha ties it off wrong, and just have bulgy extra fabric hanging awkwardly. It's even more noticable in the manga.
> 
> I know what should be there for both, but I mashed em together in a wrongness fusion to celebrate how wrong the outfits are in both. 😂

With a lack of anything to do, aside from re-introduce himself to monster arm, Yuugi starts walking. He doesn't know where he's walking. Because he knows nothing. Not about what's going on. Not where he is. Maybe his nightmares took inspiration from Studio Ghibli. Whatever's going on, Yuugi marches on.

And he sees his reward! There, in front of him, he sees the thousand-year old tree standing proud. The tree that stands guardian over his family's temple. Yuugi breaks into a jog upon sight. He doesn't know what's going on. But the tree means home. Home means tree. It's been the flag he sees first of his home, every time. And nothing else matters right now, but getting home. Away from this idyllic scenery porn nightmare.

Yuugi runs so fast that he stumbles. Trips over a few roots, and gets a stinging whip in the face by a few branches. The leaves whirl around him in sweet, crisp air. He's lost, a little roughed up, and still has adrenaline pumping in his veins. He just wants to hug mama, and grandpa. He'll give Kuriboh a few treats in exchange for cuddling. He'll ignore the terror-based murder attempt and everything. But the Tree of Ages is almost right before him. He's home. He's home. He's home. Yuugi pushes aside the last few branches.

Yuugi is not home.

But there is a boy. Nailed to a tree. In a not-fun way. And the only thing around them is forest. No Mutou Shrine or family house in sight. Just Yuugi. And the Tree of Ages. And a boy nailed to it. He even has some vines, and plants growing on him. He's been there a while. But he's not dead. Or rotting. You know, like you'd think of a guy spent so long on a tree that he'd have plants on him. He just looks like he's sleeping. He's breathing and everything.

Which is good, because Yuugi's already traumatized, please and thank you. There's not a damn bully who can psych Yuugi out now. Yuugi almost got mauled by a centipede mermaid.

But, maybe this is a break from his confused nightmare brain. Hey, we just traumatized you, so here. Have a beautiful guy to coo at. Thanks, brain, Yuugi says. He accepts this offering gratefully. He's fine with ogling a gorgeous guy. And he's never seen a guy like this before. 

Partially because he's sleeping. There's an arrow in his chest, but he doesn't seem to be in pain. Or to notice it. His hair sticks up wildly, in the shape of flames. But he doesn't have product in it. Yuugi uses enough to know what it looks like. Mystery Boy's hair is soft, but seems to glow in the sunlight. It's like fire. Yuugi can't see his eyes, but his eyelashes could easily be double any mascara.

His skin is so warm looking. Unlike Yuugi's teen-acne-spotted self, it actually looks healthy. Like he doesn't spend ten hours a day hunched in front of the tv. Mystery boy has a golden undertone to his dark skin. It's highlighted by the gold jewelry he's wearing. Jewelry which sparkles like fairy lights in the sun.

He's dressed real wildly. He has a gorgeous indigo cloak, and a cream-colored, traditional-looking hanjuban. Without an outer kimono. And it's tied with a golden belt, and not a obi! He's wearing a pale sashinuki hakama, under which two slip-on shoes peak out. A modern choice, if the soles didn't resemble traditional bamboo sandals. Yuugi's never seen someone wear weird custom-ordered Toms with hakama before. Why.

And it's all decorated with that strange gold jewelry. It almost resembles something from Ancient Egypt. Broad golden collars, and necklaces. Wrist and ankle cuffs that are over a hand's length long. And the previously mentioned golden belt. From up close, Yuugi can see beads like ankhs braided into his blonde bangs and forelocks. And a crown! One with a giant eye on the forehead, and sweeping wings that spring out like horns at the temples. How strange. He pulls it off though. Real well. Maybe Yuugi's been shown too many artifacts. Or maybe those harem porn scenes rubbed off on Yuugi's dream mind. ~~_Rubbed off._~~ Then Yuugi spots something.

Sleepy pretty boy has _ears._

I mean, of course he has ears. But they aren't human ears. He has dog ears. On top of his head. Yuugi approaches. Every horror movie says don't approach. But Yuugi guesses he's the guy to die in a horror movie, because he's going up to sleeping beauty to see those ears. Besides, he can't be worse than centipede bitch, right?

And sure enough, when Yuugi gets closer, those ears are real. There isn't human ears hidden by angles or his fluffy hair. There's no headbands, or clips. They even ruffle in the air. Yuugi shuffles a little closer. He looks down at the roots that climb up and encase the boy.

Yuugi's not usually one for any outdoor activity. And climbing some rough, weird, giant vines kinda fall under that. But this is his dream, and there's some pretty sleeping beauty boy with weird ears and he wants to get a closer look at 'em. And also that boy's eyelashes because wow.

So Yuugi gets on the vine-things. He wobbles, he wriggles. He's mostly crawling, at first. But then he finds a balance, and figures out how to step on the bumpy vines from Jack's beanstalk. Then he just crouch-steps. He finally can stand up properly when he reaches the guy. Which is good, because Yuugi just found someone as short as he is, and that would put him at an awkward level.

So he's finally next to the guy. And he peers at him. The guy doesn't seem to wake up. Just softly breathing in a slow sleep. As close as Yuugi has to be to have a foot-hold, Yuugi's breathing on him. The guy doesn't feel it. Yuugi puffs his breath in his face. No response. Not even a twitch. And Yuugi's eyes stray from that pretty face. He can't help it. There's those ears. They're cute. They're delightful.

"Um, hey? Can you hear me?" Nothing.

"Hello?" Still nothing. So Yuugi reaches up slowly. Gently. And he touches the ears.

It's heaven. There has never been a texture as soft as this in Yuugi's life. It's the softest thing, warm, and delicate in Yuugi's hands. He rubs them, flicking the soft little triangles a little. Yuugi giggles softly. He can't help a smile. But this is really rude. So Yuugi backs up and sighs. He needs to figure out how to leave here, or wake up. Which ever. And sleeping boy can't help him. He shuffles back, ready to climb down and figure something else out, when he hears little creaks. And then words he dreads.

"Get away from there!" Yuugi turns his head. There's a bunch of angry guys. With wooden bows, and arrows. Pointed straight at him.

Before Yuugi can move _anywhere_ , they fire. The arrows whiz through the air. They say you are meant to see things move before you hear them. But all Yuugi can see is the arrows move in slow motion, while the whizzing whistle as they slice through the clearing echoes in his brain continuously.

Luckily, these guys have the aim of stormtroopers. Or they weren't aiming right at Yuugi. Yet.

Yuugi doesn't want to test that theory out yet. What a great birthday! Maybe this is really his dream, and he can will it back to pretty-boy time. He squeezes his eyes shut, and thinks really hard. He opens them back up. Nope. Arrows still there.

So he listens calmly as the guys give him instructions. They bind his hands, and march him in the middle of the group. He's unable to fall behind, and unable to rush ahead. He can't fall to the side, either. And he doesn't dare try to run around them, the two at his back have arrows pointed at his heart. Yuugi has to say, they payed attention in Captive Transport 101. Even if Yuugi could get away, he is lost.

His captors clearly know this land. They listen to the birds, and can tell where animals have tread by looking at grass. Grass. They even decide to take another path, out of fear of messing up hunting grounds. And they walk, and walk, and walk. And for dessert, they walk some more. Yuugi thinks it would be relaxing. You know, except for arrows.

Eventually, they get to a village. It certainly can't be anything else. The houses are so small, he first mistakes them for sheds. Clearly one-room. Some of the larger ones might just be two-room. If the rooms are the size of a bathroom. Surrounding it is rice paddies, rice paddies, and more rice paddies. Yuugi thinks he saw a field of dirt somewhere on the right. No car, no bicycle. Not telephone wires, or satellite. Nothing.

Yuugi is lead into the center of the capital of No Where's Land and made to sit down on a mat. They tie his ankles, too. And then they go to get someone. And Yuugi is left in the middle of a village of no where, surrounded by rumors. People start muttering conspiracy theories about him, about war. About demons. These people sound like they would be good friends with Grandpa and his friends.

Topknot, topknot, topknot. Yukata, yukata, yukata. Hakama, hakama, hakama. What was this? A historical recreation event? Maybe he really will spot Grandpa here.

Then an elderly priestess approaches. She's holding a bag, and a bow as she walks up to Yuugi. He tenses. Then she hands off the bow, having just used it to lean on as she walked. Yuugi feels his muscles relax.

Then she throws salt in his eyes.

"Begone, demon!" Okay, this woman has some gall. Of the two of them, he thinks the person holding teens captive, and throwing salt in their eyes gets that term.

"I'm not a demon!" He shouts as politely as he can with salt in his face. She's an actual woman, unlike eldritch centipede. So that means she should respond to manners, right?

"Are ye not a demon? Then why were you found by the Sennan Tree? Meant to hold a seal for a thousand years?!" The priest asks. Okay, a little excitable, but she's listening more than anyone else is.

"He could be a scout from an invading force" The man next to her tries to whisper. He doesn't do well. Mostly because he fails at quiet.

"He would be a fool. Who would invade a village as poor as ours? And he's far too scrawny to be any use in fighting." Yuugi knows it to be true, but he pouts anyway. Then he rethinks it, and hunkers down. Maybe if he looks harmless, they'll let him go. He fails at thinking of how to look more harmless. He looks like he's twelve. How can he beat that? The priestess gasps.

"Look like you have a spine, or be a coward, child. Now let me have a good look at ye," the priestess says as she grasps Yuugi's chin. Looking aggressive might be against his best interests, but Yuugi growls a little. He's tired of the manhandling.

"It is! He wields the Sennan Eye! The eye of Ra and Horus, the eye of Atum himself, the third eye wielded by the chosen!" she cries.

Which makes no sense. If this is a historical recreation, they should get their themes separated. And the religions. Sometimes the eye of Ra, Horus, and Atum are interchangeable, but not quite like this. Or used by people. Yuugi knows. He's Gramps's best friend. He's been lectured since he was born. And what the heck is the Sennan eye? And maybe these guys shouldn't kidnap people.

Anyway, somehow Yuugi is rooming with the old priestess once the sun goes down. Yuugi thinks this might not be a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
> -Short comments  
> -Long comments  
> -Questions  
> -Constructive criticism  
> -“<3” as extra kudos  
> -Reader-reader interaction
> 
> LLF Comment Builder  
> This author replies to comments.  
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


	3. Entomophobia: Phobia of Bugs (Or What Yuugi Will Have After This)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The point of view changes seem a little awkward to me on paper, so I tried to cut a couple of them out, but they're in the manga and anime, and hold important information. Sooo...they're sort of still there. I at least repurposed them for my story.  
> I also keep trying to change the dialogue. It's not totally the same as the manga or anime, because 1) this is it's own story, 2) the characters will react differently to situations. But sometimes there is only so many ways to say something 😅

"Please bear us no ill will, boy. Though I know realize you can bear us no ill will, these are harsh times. War is on our doorsteps, and once again, strangers might be harbingers of it." The priestess, Mana says.

She's dark skinned, and her hair is rebelliously thick and curly. It doesn't want to stay tied back. But her eyes and her nose are certainly of Asian descent. She tries to seem slow and patient, but her fidgeting exposes her. And she has a bright smile. Yuugi likes her, now that she's not throwing salt in his face. Mana tries to ladle some soup into two bowls.

She drops the ladle.

Yuugi and her chase after it, and end up using the fire pokers to rescue it right before it's nosedive into the fire spells the end of their dinner. Mana sighs gratefully. She then spoons the steaming fish stew into two bowls.

"Food, food, food!" Yuugi chants. He hasn't eaten since breakfast. Mana laughs with delight. Her chuckle is as warming to hear as the fire is. It is the laughter of the unconcerned and the freedom of youth. It makes her face look young, and a world's weight falls off her shoulders. Yuugi laughs as well. Then his smile shrinks.

"I guess I'm not dreaming. I'm nowhere near Domino City, huh?" His smile is still serene, but inside he feels tears struggle to come out. He won't let them. He won't trouble this wonderful woman lodging him, and stretching thin her food for his belly. A woman who looks like she rediscovered how to smile.

"Domino? I've never heard of it. Not in this land, or the one my mother's family is from." She pauses.

"It's strange. You look so like him, but so different. And you act different, too," She mumbles. As if she doesn't wish to be heard. But it seems to carry through the air. Borne up, along the wind whistling outside. As if a curiosity carried to the gods themselves. Yuugi ignores this witnessed private statement, and carries on without it.

"Yeah, Domino City. So I probably should start heading back." Yuugi starts sweating. 'Even though I don't know how," he says to himself. They pass a few seconds like that, staring contemplatively at the fire in the air of food, warmth and unlikely companionship.

Then the crashes resound through the night air. And the gong sounds.

They meet each other's eyes. A shared moment of annoyance. _'What now?'_ Then they scramble on shoes and sandals and run outside.

"It's a monster!" Someone yells. How very illuminating. Yuugi thought the giant centipede monster holding a horse in it's mouth and crashing houses was just a newborn filly.

Oh, wonderful. One of her arms are missing. It must be the same centipede monster that Yuugi pissed off Then she throws a horse in Mana and his direction. It crashes with a resounding boom, screeching the whole time. Yuugi can't blame Mr. Horse. The impact flings more dirt up in the air. It mixes with the dust, ash, and smoke already swirling in the atmosphere. It's not a pleasant combo.

Horse-throwing. Yeah. Yuugi would say she's pissed off.

"It's that thing!" Yuugi cries. Okay. He apologizes for his sass at Obvious Yelling Man. Adrenaline apparently breaks your logic speech center.

"Give me the Sennan Pendent!" Centipede woman shouts as menacingly as she can. And she just broke a ton of houses, and threw a horse. It's pretty menacing.

Then she charges at them. And circles around and does it again. How? How is she floating in mid-air? Do centipedes just do this? Yuugi doesn't think he can ever see a tiny centipede the same way. Mana gasps by his side. Maybe she isn't used to giant centipedes flying either.

"She said the Pendent! So you are it's wielder?" She stares at Yuugi in amazement, both as if she's seeing him for the first time, but also watching something she knew be confirmed. It's kind of weird. Like what she's saying.

"Sennan Pendent? Like the Sennan Items? I mean I've heard a bit about them. But I don't understand what's going on!" Yuugi says. Could this day get more confusing?

"I must have it! I must!" Centipede monster shouts, before turning herself into a giant, wriggling drill bit tornado.

Shouldn't have jinxed yourself, Yuugi. Shouldn't have jinxed yourself. And whatever is going on, it's after me!

"None of our weapons are working!" A man reports as he, and his friend run to priestess Mana.

"The only way to stop her is to lure her to the dry well." Mana explains.

"The dry well?" Yuugi asks.

"In the Traitor's Forest," Mana replies. The dry well Yuugi came out of! And she needs to be lured, but...

"It's where the light is shining, right?" Yuugi asks. But he doesn't wait for an answer. A moment's delay is a moment that creature might kill someone. But the priestess has a plan. Mana clearly knows how to deal with this monster. But now it's Yuugi's turn to hope. Not about outrunning the monster. No, running for over a decade from bullies have prevented that issue. It's about whether they can enact Mana's plan.

'Please. Please! Please, someone help me!'

And so Yuugi runs. Jumps onto a path between the rice paddies. And runs. Runs towards the light glowing. Run towards the old tree. The sacred Tree of Ages. The light and the tree's silhouette burn into his eyes. He refuses to look away. Refuses to slow down.

He feels water splash, and soak into his shoes. Muck, and leaves stick to him. Branches whip at him, and rip his clothing at the speed he's going. It's dark. It's cold. It smells like mud. It's probably miserable. There's sounds of animals running, darting away because they know what's good for them. All of this is recognized in the back of his mind.

But the only part he feels is the hot breath of the centipede monster on the back of his neck.

"Give it to me!" Centipede monster shouts. As if Yuugi didn't hear her the first time. Swirling abyss of light, collapsing houses, and flying horses are distracting. But they aren't _that_ distracting. Not when a centipede monster is there.

"I don't have it!" Yuugi shouts. Centipede woman doesn't like that answer.

She dives for the ground under Yuugi's feet. And then there is no ground under Yuugi's feet. Only air. He's up in the sky. Flying, falling, tumbling. He doesn't know.

Then Yuugi hits the ground. Hard. Luckily it's grass, and not rock, or mud. Ground. He's never loved ground so much. He's never going on a rollercoaster again.

"Hello, Mahaad. Playing with bugs now, are we?" Yuugi looks up. And it's the sleeping boy! Or he was. Now he seems wide awake, and not very friendly. And Yuugi can see where the glow is coming from.

Two glows. One from the arrow stuck in his chest, and one from one of his many necklaces. It's shaped in an upside down pyramid. It has the same eye on it that his crown did. How did Yuugi not look closer at that gigantic thing? Oh, wait. Because he was ogling his eyelashes. Duh.

"Oh, and did you really style your hair like mine? You don't pull it off near as well," the boy snidely says. Excuse me? Yuugi has been pulling this hair off since he was seven, thank you. And it looks cool. But hold up.

"You're alive?" Yuugi says. Adrenaline, meet logic speech machine.

"Why are you taking so long to kill it? Just do her like you did me," pretty boy says. Which, one: that's what he said. Two: Yuugi is a pacifist, thank you. Three: the ever loving hell.

"You look pretty dumb there, Mahaad. Trying out my hair, and you look like you haven't seen the sun in years. And the Mahaad I know wouldn't waste his time."

"That's it! Mahaad, Mahaad, Mahaad! Whoever that is. That's not me because my name is-"

"She's here," pretty boy says.

Fifteen tons of centipede monster rushes out of the treetop. She rushes to grab Yuugi.

Then arrows strike her flesh with the grossest sound Yuugi has ever heard. He's also never heard a sound that made him feel as grateful as it does. He sighs in relief.

"You're pathetic, Mahaad." Thanks. Just what he needed.

"Look, I'm not him! Whoever he is. That's not my name!"

"Look, you gotta be him. Because there's no other way you could smell so much like the Sennan It-" the boy sniffs Yuugi. Because of course he does. Yuugi knows he spent the day hiking through muddy trails, but he doesn't need it rubbed in, alright?

"You're not him..." Pretty, but stupid guy says in confusion. "And unless Mahaad walked around on stilts, you're way too short." And there's an obligatory height comment. The cherry on top. The guy cringes back, looking the definition of chagrin.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed. My name is Yuugi. Yuu-gi."

"You're right," mystery boy says as he turns away. "Mahaad was more handsome. Much more handsome." As Yuugi's fragile pride shatters with the three hit combo of hair, height, and looks, he takes back every single thing he said about mystery boy. All of it. His hair, his eyelashes, everything. Fairy dog boy of assholery can shove it.

But then hands, and arms, and more hands snatch Yuugi. They tighten, leaving bruises. They start pulling him away, but Yuugi has seen what she can do. So he latches on to what he can grab. It's soft, and silky. It doesn't matter. It's something not centipede. Which is a blessing.

It's mystery jerk's hair. They both start screaming.

"Let go of me!"

"No, _you_ let go of _me!"_ Then it's just them having a threeway screaming contest with a giant centipede. Santa, when Yuugi asked for a threeway with a beautiful woman, and man, this was _not_ what he meant.

Close by, but not that any one of the screaming trio are paying attention, priestess Mana rides up. She doesn't like what she sees. At all.

"The traitor has revived!" is the first thing that greets her to the scene. It sort of explains why she hears his voice shouting. But she doesn't understand. The spell of her brother should have sealed him for all eternity!

"Give me the Sennan Pendant!" Centipede monster screams.

'The Sennan Pendant?' The boy thinks. He's still not sure what's going on. Or who this annoying boy latched onto his hair is. Or who Mahaad is, but he knows Mahaad put him here. He remembers that. And he knows that Mahaad, and this boy smell of the Sennan Items. Like the Sennan Pendant! The pendant this beast wants. But she can't have it! It isn't for the likes of her.

He can't understand how he feels about these items. Or why he feels so strongly. But of the foggy thoughts in his brain, these half-pieces of memory, one thing stands clear. The unworthy can't have the Sennan Items!

The centipede woman opens her mouth wide. And wider. And wider, again. And then her upper teeth grow down, revealing fangs as big as Yuugi's hand. Then her face practically snaps in half as her jaws crack open. It's an even more disgusting sight that the arms, or spine, or giant tongue. She deserves some reverse beauty contest award. And she swoops that face down. Closer, and closer. Yuugi puts his arm out to guard himself instinctively. The grip of his other arm slips, but he refinds it and holds on.

"Stop it!" Once again, the glowing light thing happens. His forehead, and his hand glow gold. But so does the other boy. The one on the tree. His forehead and irises shine gold.

Once again, centipede woman flies back, and even more arms fall off. Great. Just wonderful. At least she can't grab him anymore?

"I...did that. I did that in the well, too. But how?" The villagers are staring at him. Mana is staring at him. The asshole tree boy is staring at him. The villagers are staring at tree boy. Mana is staring at tree boy. Mana looks like she's watching a ping pong game. She's going back between the both of them so fast, Yuugi worries for her neck. Her knees seem to have arthritis. Certainly, she should be careful with her neck. Then he looks down. In his hands is a necklace. The glowing necklace. But glow might be the wrong word. It looks like a small sun. He looks back up at tree jerk. Both of them stare at each other bewildered as they both glow.

Then flying centipede bitch comes back. Because she can still fly somehow. Of course. And she snatches Yuugi with her mouth. Of course. Does she even brush her teeth? Do they have tooth paste? This is unsanitary. She throws him up in the air, and he tumbles around again. The necklace slips from his grip. He stares at it as they fall. He should be concerned about impact, or something. But this necklace. What is it about this necklace. Why does it glow, and feel so warm to the touch? Why does it seem to...sing to him?

Then Yuugi is falling. Again. He' really tired of falling. He hits the centipede once. Twice. She doesn't feel good. Spiny bones and tough muscles. It feels like he fell on a log with spiked nails sticking out. Then he hits the ground. Again. He is so tired of falling.

"Quick, give me back the Pendent!" Mystery jerk says.

"Huh?" Yuugi says. He's not sure if he has a concussion, or if it's just shock. Everything around him seems to move so fast. He feels like a goldfish in a bowl. A small person in a small circle of time. Disconnected, while everything else whooshes past. It's like his head's full of cotton. It's hard to think.

"Hurry!" Mystery guy implores. His words sound so earnest, but so far away.

Centipede monster fixes that, for then Yuugi is scooped up by the centipede's thorax/legs/something, and shoved against the tree. It's like she took lessons from anacondas. Her body is constricting both of them against the tree like an anaconda crushes its prey.

But neither of them have the mysterious, glowing pendant. It's on the ground, a mere arm's length away. But they are both confined to the tree, unable to get it. And the centipede woman descends to mock them.

"I heard some half-demon spawn tried to control all the Sennan Items. It's you, isn't it?" The mystery boy doesn't respond to the taunts, just continues on glaring. But Yuugi just gets another dose of confusion. Half-demon? What is he? Is the centipede monster a demon?

"Half is all I need to make you pay for your trespasses. I'll make you wish you were never born!" Half-demon mystery boy says with a smirk.

"You sure can talk smack, but are you able to live up to it?" Yuugi asks.

"Huh?" He replies eloquently. Yuugi almost wants to snap one of his insults back at him. But not the time.

"Can you, or not?" The boy looks up, and away. His gaze is focused on the centipede monster. He doesn't look ashamed, nor proud. Doesn't look like he is contemplative, or unsure. He just looks like he is looking out a window to check the weather. Unconcerned.

"What can he do? Pinned there like that to a tree?" The centipede woman hisses delightedly. "Or you, for that matter? You're both powerless to stop me. You're helpless, the both of you."

She laughs again, a terrible laughter. It sounds like a cheap villain's laugh recorded through one of those children's voice-changing toys. Like the fakest robot voice ever. It shouldn't be as nerve chilling as it is. Maybe because she's five seconds from killing them. Then she sticks that disgusting giant tongue out and wraps it around the cord of the pendant. Within seconds the pendant glows.

"Don't you dare!" The half-demon screams. But it means nothing to her. Nor does the villagers shouting. The centipede monster starts glowing, too. A terrible red. Then her detached arms glow red. And they come back and stick back on her. Like nothing happened. Then she pulses. Again, and again. And again. Power that makes it hard to breathe thrums through the clearing like a heartbeat.

"It's re-arming," Yuugi whispers to the half-demon boy. He doesn't even mean it as a pun. He can't even make puns anymore. This is a terrible situation. This day is a terrible situation. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to be home. But now there's a centipede monster, and it has a powerful Sennan Item, and it's about to kill them.

Then the centipede demon sheds her skin like a lizard. Because that's what this situation needed. And underneath is scaly, black skin with spots of flesh exposed. She grows horns, too. Her eyes are red, with glowing gold irises. Her fangs grow even longer. She screams like nothing Yuugi has ever heard. It is a sound that contains a pure animalistic rage.

"My power is complete!"

And of course her first priority is killing them. Or really, Yuugi. Because half-demon guy doesn't seem bothered.

"It's crushing me!" Yuugi yells. Maybe it's obvious, but maybe someone could do something? He doesn't want to die. Especially not here, not like this. He wants to see his family again!

"Hey, can you...pull out this arrow?" Half-demon guy says. As if they are discussing directions. As if they aren't pinned to a tree by a demon who is killing Yuugi.

"Huh?" What Yuugi means is, is this really the time?

"Can you pull the arrow out, or not?" Yuugi tries to reach up. It's difficult when you are being crushed to death.

"I don't know," Yuugi replies. He doesn't know how long he can remain conscious. It's so hard to breathe, and he feels so light headed.

"Yuugi! Don't pull it out! If you unseal him, the traitor will destroy all of us!" Mana shouts.

"Don't be ridiculous! You can face me honorably, face to face. That thing is going to eat you, and doesn't mind using every dirty trick to do so!" Half-demon shouts back. Then he turns to Yuugi.

"And what about you? Are you ready to die?"

"I...I don't know what I should do. But given the choice..." Yuugi ignores the black spots in his vision, the lightheadedness, the pain, and how his limbs are going numb. He ignores it all.

He reaches up, every centimeter he can. And he gets a hold of the arrow holding the boy in place.

"Given the choice, I want to live!" Yuugi gets a hold of it, and it turns to bright pink light, shining like a supernova in the clearing. The centipede monster screeches. She moves her body to cover the tree completely, trying to crush them. The world turns dark, quiet, and painful.

And then it all explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
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